After all, crime rates have fallen under Evans, who the mayor appointed roughly one year ago and has described as a friend.

The forced resignation came the same day as local television station prepared to air a controversial reality TV promotion featuring Evans, fueling rumors its public release forced Bing's hand.

But Bing said Thursday "a combination of several different things," led to the decision, which was four to six weeks in the making.

"A lot of it had to do with leadership and morale, with respect," Bing told WJR-AM 760 host Frank Beckmann. "There was in-fighting" in the department.

As first reported by WXYZ, Evans was dating a subordinate, as evidence by Facebook photos showing him on vacation with Lt. Monique Patterson.

Today, the Detroit Free Press reports Evans pressured supervisors to remove an officer from a number of high-profile assignments in retaliation for her gossip about that relationship, according to a complaint an internal investigation report.

Officer Shanda Starks filed the complaint, alleging Evans forced her transfer from the mayor's executive protection unit and removed her from special operations because she was gossiping about Patterson and her boss.

While investigators concluded Evans relationship didn't violate any specific company policy, the decisions he was accused of making at Patterson's bidding led to low morale in the department.

Evans responded to his ouster on his Facebook page, saying he tried to do right by the city.

"It's a shame when its problematic for two single adults to date," he wrote. "Shame on me for not hiding it! Or being married with a girlfriend on the job like so many others."